Large Scale Central

Aristocraft Track Value

I have some Aristocraft code 332 brass track excess to my needs. Some is used, some new.

What would be a fair price to ask per foot?

Thanks

I think a dollar a foot should be about the going price. Other’s opinions may be more accurate, but I know it can be had for that price. Pristine and indoors use only may bring twice as much. Stainless and aluminum has really taken over the market.

I was recently stocking up on Code 332 brass and prefer the Aristocraft European as the ties look more like narrow guage. From my humble experience, the Aristo rail seems to weather better than the LGB or others, and I haven’t had any problems with the ties disintegrating. I couldn’t find anything for under $3.50 per foot and that was used. Most if not all of this was purchased on EBAY auctions and I usually considered $4.00 / foot a good deal. I’ve occasionally found the rail only, it was cheaper but that is rarity. I am now stocking up on Brass code 250 narrow guage and am buying that from Accucraft, as they seem to have the best price per foot at around $4.75/foot. You don’t find the Brass code 250 that often on Ebay so I’ve been buying that from Accucraft.

A $1/ft was the going price many years ago before the massive increase in the cost of brass (real or imagined). If the ties are still good (not faded and still supple), I would think that anything up to $2/ft would be a respectable price.

Note that when I bought my AristoCraft new in 1997 I paid $2.05/ft. George Schreyer got his the year before a 2/ft. This was on the old “Buy 4 boxes and get the 5th box of equal value free” sale that they used to have every Jan and Feb back when.

The problem with selling track is the cost of shipping the heavy item which can really increase the per foot price if you factor it in.

I would think that well used track would go for about $1 per foot and it goes up from there depending on condition. Of course curved track is a bit different with the wider radius curves being more desirable where a circle of 20’ diameter could be $300 a tighter circle of 4’ diameter might go for $30.

I’d say the days of $1 per foot track are far and few between.

I was recenly at an estate sale and bought a box of what appear as very lightly used indoors AristoCraft brass 2’ sections (24 ft total) and paid $50 for the box.

If you/someone wants track, I have several sections sections of LGB I would sell for $2.50/ft. IIRC, I have four 4’, one 3’, and a bunch of 2’ Some is very good (the 4’s and 3’ just hanging on my garage wall for years) and all still is fine with supple ties. Some has solder from jumpers. Pick-up in So Cal only. I won’t ship it.

“…What would be a fair price to ask per foot?..”

chkd out a local shop last tues. found they had quite a bit of track for sale some ‘new’, some used.

Used AC and USAT’ ‘worked out’ to be $5/ft CDN and the new mainly LGB was averaging $7 CDN.

doug

p.s. this shop has even installed a new overhead G loop, and is planning for a point to point in the near future. They have people coming in to sell their empires and others coming in to expand so they see the opportunity. Of course if we buy in bulk they are likely to shave a few pts ($) off :wink: